For “Packers Week” here at Go Long, Benkert got into it all. Fresh off a second vaccine shot that he says kicked his ass, Benkert’s voice gets low as he walks past his sleeping baby’s room and — for an hour — explains how he’s become the most interesting man in town:

Eliminating material possessions from his own life helped clear his mind for this moment, this opportunity in Green Bay. He doesn’t even have a home base. Next summer, he’ll be RV’ing around the country.

The moment he realized the NFL is a business in Atlanta. He hasn’t forgotten the GM’s words. One message from Julio Jones went a long way then, too.

Why 10-year-olds all over the country think he’s the best QB ever on TikTok. He’s a celebrity on the app and explains how the stars aligned perfectly for his rise to stardom.

How he became one of the best gamers in the country. Benkert, the No. 1-ranked Fortnite player in the NFL, now makes more money gaming than he does playing football. His explanation for why anyone would want to watch other people play video games actually makes sense, too.

His playing style at QB. He’s a free spirit in life and a free spirit on the field. With a flight booked home after his tryout in Green Bay this past spring, Benkert blew away Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst to make the 90-man roster. He intends to stick around, too.

How he would’ve ended Game of Thrones.

And we have a Go Long first. Benkert’s daughter, Scout, says her first word mid-interview.

You can’t make it up.

Kurt Benkert is one of a kind.



How’s life in Green Bay? Did you get an apartment? A house?

Benkert: We were looking for houses and stuff but there’s nothing here. We weren’t going to buy a place obviously. We got a little two-bedroom apartment across from the stadium. Not too far. So, it’s an easy commute to work. I can pop in whenever I need to on off days and just keep life rolling. It’s been a nice change of pace. We’ve been living in South Florida so it’s a whole different world up here. It’s one of the coolest places I’ve lived for sure. I lived in Charlottesville and this gives me those vibes. It’s a little more down home and country but we’re enjoying.

So you’re hoping Aaron doesn’t come back, right? And your roster spot is preserved?

Benkert: I hope he does come back. I hope he comes back and gets me a ring. That’d be wonderful. Let me get the best of both.

Hey, maybe there are enough roster spots to go around.

Benkert: That’s it. I just have to play well, do my thing and I’ll be sitting pretty one way or another.

Let’s hear a little about yourself. Where are you from? What really makes you you?

Benkert: I was born in Baltimore, Maryland and moved back and forth between there and South Florida. But I finished high school in South Florida, went to East Carolina University for my first three years, grad transferred after a bad injury and the staff got released. And then I went to Virginia and helped rebuild the program. We were 2-10 and awful my first year. And then, after that, we made the first bowl game in six years. So we kind of started the turnaround for Virginia. It was worth it. It was not easy. But it’s cool to see the success they’re having now with guys consistently committing and getting a good foundation for the program.

I went undrafted to Atlanta. I was expecting to get drafted anywhere from third to seventh round. It was a big range. But my draft class was stacked — Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Rosen, Darnold, Baker. I think it was the best draft class since ’83. A bad year to come out for an undrafted guy. But shit’s working out for me.

Ty Dunne wrote: